Classical stringed instruments comprise a plurality of strings which extend over an acoustical chamber. The movement of a bow laterally across the strings causes the strings to vibrate and as they vibrate they cooperate with the acoustical chamber to produce music.
It is old to provide a conventional violin with a microphone that is attached to a wall of the acoustical chamber, for picking up the vibrations of such wall. An example of this type of electric stringed musical instrument is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 2,486,264, granted Oct. 25, 1949 to Harry De Armond.
It is also known to place a magnetic pick-up assembly underneath the bridge of a generally conventional violin for picking up the vibrations of such bridge. An example of this type of electric stringed musical instrument is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 2,978,945, granted Apr. 11, 1961 to Rudolph Dopera and Edward. E. Dopera.
It is also known to substitute a magnetic or crystal pick-up for the acoustical chamber, enabling a reconstruction of the violin into a long, narrow "stick" configuration. Examples of instruments of this type are disclosed by the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 1,861,717, granted June 7, 1932 to Victor A. Pfeil; No. 2,048,515, granted July 21, 1936 to Victor A. Pfeil; No. 2,130,174, granted Sept. 13, 1938 to George D. Beauchamp; No. 2,222,057, granted Nov. 19, 1940 to Hugo Benioff; No. 2,310,199, granted Feb. 9, 1943 to George D. Beauchamp; No. 2,539,297, granted Jan. 23, 1951 to Luis N. G. De Lazaro; No. 4,182,213, granted Jan. 8, 1980 to Robert M. Iodice; No. 4,235,143, granted Nov. 25, 1980 to Robert S. Hoexter; No. 4,348,930, granted Sept. 14, 1982, to Dennis A. Chobanian and R. Allan McNaughton; and No. 4,442,749, granted Apr. 17, 1984 to Lawrence P. DiMarzio and Steven L. Blucher.
The instruments disclosed by these patents either present a pick-up which is characterized by a magnetic pole or poles positioned above and below, or only below, each string and adapted to produce a flux field which is elongated in a direction perpendicular to the direction of predominant movement of the strings when moved by finger, pick or a bow. It is a principal object of the invention to provide a "stick" type violin instrument which has improved structural characteristics when compared with the known "stick" violins, and which includes an improved magnetic pick-up.
It is known to provide a conventional violin with some sort of attachment which functions to engage the musician's chin, neck, collar bone region, torso or clothing collar, for providing support for the end of the instrument that is closest to the musician. Examples of these supports are shown by the following U.S. Pat. No. 491,372, granted Feb. 7, 1893 to Giorgio Narberti; No. 492,884, granted Mar. 7, 1893 to James F. Boyer; No. 925,481, granted June 22, 1909, to Frank R. Johns; No. 950,873, granted Mar. 1, 1910 to Henry Allen Smith; No. 1,199,685, granted Sept. 26, 1916 to Norton R. Gaylord; No. 1,337,459, granted Apr. 20, 1920 to Alfred Lappalainen; No. 1,895,749, granted Jan. 31, 1933 to Peter Stevens Bishop; No. 2,061,464, granted Nov. 17, 1936 to Rudolf Heimers; No. 2,576,018, granted Nov. 20, 1951 to Marcus E. Johnson; No. 2,902,895, granted Sept. 8, 1959 to Edward Sokolik; No. 3,136,197, granted June 9, 1964 to Julien A. Bried; and No. 3,822,628, granted July 9, 1974 to William J. Quemore, Sr.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved type of neck collar support for a "stick" type violin.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,571,483, granted Mar. 16, 1971 to Peter Davidson, relates to a magnetic pick-up for a guitar. This patent should be considered, together with all of the other above listed patents, when putting the present invention into proper perspective relative to the prior art. Also of interest is a publication entitled Guitar Electronics for Musicians, by Donald Brosnac, published by Wise Publications in 1983, and available in the United States from Amsco Publication, New York.